


Fading

by Little_Stargazer



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale, 文豪ストレイドッグス | Bungou Stray Dogs
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-29
Updated: 2018-09-29
Packaged: 2019-07-18 23:02:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16128533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Little_Stargazer/pseuds/Little_Stargazer
Summary: She chose to pursue revenge following Inuyasha's death at the hands of Naraku, as he evades his own demise for over 500 years. Kagome, along with many of her old allies, resumes hunting him in the present. She lives as a miko and an ability user, but she wonders what worth life will hold once her thirst for revenge is sated and she can finally put those memories to rest.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Pairing: [Slight] Kagome x Sango; Kagome x Chuuya
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own either series used in this fic. Each belongs to their rightful owners.
> 
> Notice:  
> Past typed in bulk Italics.  
> [Slight] Non-canon.
> 
> This may be added to later.

The setting sun in the distance caught her attention, lighting up her cerulean blue eyes with a warm glow. Her expression was as passive as ever as she watched the ball of light sink lower and lower until it eventually slipped away for the next few hours.

It was silent, almost strangely so, as she stood there, her hands shoved in the pockets of her black dress pants and her hair pulled back in a lazy bun. She started to tap the toe of her high-heeled shoe against the pavement underfoot to provide herself with some sort of distracting sound, but it did no good. A cold breeze drifted through the area, whipping the strands of her hair that remained out of the bun around in a frenzy.

How long had she been waiting there like that? Nearly a half hour or more, she'd bet.

Kagome sighed, her expression finally twisting from that passive one she wore so often. Her gaze softened as she glanced down at her feet before she closed her eyes. She lifted a hand to wrap it around the pink jewel she wore dutifully around her neck. On either side of it were two rings- a matching pair fit for a husband and wife. She clutched on tight to them, tight enough for her knuckles to whiten and a dull ache to start in her fingers. When she let them go, the rings clanked against the jewel with a soft jingle. No more than five seconds later, an additional presence could be felt, and she glanced over her shoulder just in time for her eyes to meet a shade of molten gold. A gleam of silver hair caught her attention as she turned fully, folding her arms over her breasts. She tilted her head in his direction, waiting for him to speak of his findings.

"There is no evidence of him remaining in Japan, just as he has not been stirring up trouble," the silver-haired demon, Sesshoumaru, spoke calmly. His voice showed no surprise at what he said, as though he had expected to be right wholly. "There isn't much we are able to do at this point," he stated then, threading clawed fingers through his silver locks and brushing them back behind his shoulder as another gust of wind blew through the area and left them in a state of disarray.

Even though she had been expecting something like that, it still disappointed her, and she let such emotions show on her face. She hadn't been able to track him, and neither had her demon companions, after all. Still, he was out there, living and breathing as if he had that right. Her eyes narrowed in anger, and she resisted the urge to reach up and grip the pair of rings around her neck once more. Instead, she sunk her teeth into her lower lip as she fought meeting his gaze again.

"I don't see how he can hide for so long so contently," she said, finally opening her mouth to speak some odd number of minutes after Sesshoumaru had fallen silent. The harshness in her voice caught in her ears, and she squeezed her eyes shut and breathed a few times to calm herself down. After a second or two, she finally met Sesshoumaru's eyes. "Thanks for looking into it for me," she said. The moment those words left her lips, she turned on her heel and began on her way out of the dark alley. "I'll see you soon, Aniki."

She left with those parting words, going down the path she had come by to get to that place. The dark skies around her did not frighten her, as she let her senses guide each and every step she took forward. Nothing lurked in the shadows waiting to pounce on her, and nothing hid around a corner waiting to attack.

The car that Sesshoumaru had arrived in had gone ignored by her. Accompanying him on a car ride back home did not appeal to her at that moment.

The rings around her neck felt warm against her skin. She slowed her pace at feeling the metal brush against her skin, and she finally succumbed to the urge to wrap her fingers around them. She froze completely as she did so, letting every ounce of her focus go to the smooth feel of them against her palm. Tears built up in her eyes, a few slipping free to cascade down her pale cheeks in thin lines.

They were all she had left of that time that held positive memories for her. She constantly told herself that, one day, she'd bury them in the soil that surrounded the Goshinboku tree at her childhood home. The rings, the promise of a happy end that was snuffed out before she was able to reach it. She couldn't stomach the idea of getting rid of them now, and that was why she wore them with the pink bauble that caused so much hell and chaos for so many people.

Her heart squeezed in pain as a sorrowful look flooded her expression.

She hoped the pain would fade with Naraku's death. She hoped that she could somehow find solace in the demise of the spider that had been at fault for her crushed dream.

What should she hope for after that day, though? Once that day came and went, she'd have to find some reason to face each day after that. A part of her feared that she wasn't strong enough for that, or maybe she was fearful of the idea of leaving her memories of him behind finally. The thought of leaving him in the past tore at her heart like a wolf did to the flesh of caught prey.

Another cold breeze caressed her skin as she turned her attention up to the sky. The moon caught her attention, and a frown pulled her pale pink lips into a downwards curve.

It was a new moon tonight.

* * *

The soft aroma of freshly brewed tea hit her nose as she entered her apartment, and it soothed her mood instantly. Her shoulders slumped a bit as she shut the door behind her. A creme colored feline greeted her with a quiet noise as she circled her ankles a few times.

"Kagome-chan?" Sango's voice could be heard from the kitchen, and a few seconds later, she peeked her head out in search of her. She smiled at her and waved her forward some. "I just got tea ready. Let's have some together, okay?"

She was unable to reject the idea, and Kagome slipped her shoes off next to the door before softly padding over to the kitchen on her sock-clad feet. They sat at the table together with a cup of tea in front of each of them. It was silent for a few seconds before Sango finally broke it with the question she had been waiting for.

"Anything new?"

Kagome shook her head as she took a sip of her tea, letting out a sigh not long after swallowing. "No," she said, "he's as inactive as ever, it seems."

She looked up and saw the hard look in her eyes. A reflection of hurt shone in her chocolate orbs. "I didn't think there would be, but I guess I was still a bit hopeful."

"You and me both," she admitted. "It's hard not to be hopeful of even the smallest hint."

Sango nodded in agreement, never once lifting her eyes from the steam rising from her cup. "He's determined to keep hiding from us. It makes me wonder what he's waiting for. Back then, he would have sought us out the moment we were weak enough, but now… now he wants to hide."

"Either way, he can't hide forever. It's impossible," Kagome said, leaning her chin against her palm. "We'll eventually find him."

"... Yeah," Sango nodded in agreement, trying hard to perk up at those words of encouragement. "Until then, we'll just remain ready for whatever may come. He won't take another one of us."

Kirara lept up onto her lap and nudged against her stomach until Sango started to pet her. As she turned her attention to the twin-tailed cat, Kagome let her attention remained focused on the face of the brunette.

Out of their group, the ones that remained were the two of them and Shippo. Miroku had fallen victim to his wind tunnel, getting destroyed by it, as none of them were able to do anything to help. Even if they had been able to somehow stop it, it wouldn't have helped. As if he could feel his fate closing in on him, he had left to someplace far off on a rainy night, hiding his energy as he went to keep them from tracking him down. By the time Inuyasha had been able to track his scent down again, the only thing that greeted them in that place was a massive crater.

Inuyasha had died directly by Naraku's hand. A battle that had caught them by surprise close to the village. He had ended up taking a killing blow. She had been unable to help him fast enough, and he had ended up taking his last breath with his head resting on her lap.

Following their deaths, despite hunting Naraku for months on end, there was no sign of him anywhere. No matter the lack of evidence, he was still being alive. She could feel his energy through the jewel, the unspoken tie that they had bonding them together. His half of the Shikon no Tama was now with her, merged with her part, but it still held his aura.

She had decided to bring Sango and Kiara over from the past, choosing to let Shippo remain in Sesshoumaru's care so he could learn from the powerful demon. Now that they had met back up in present time, he was with her once more. His age was equal to that of a human in their early teens. He lived there with Sango and herself, where they existed as a makeshift family.

"Kagome-chan?"

The soft voice of Sango drew her out of her thoughts, and she met her brown eyes with her blue ones. She reached across the table and twined their fingers together. A small smile lifted her lips, and she returned the gesture. "Yes?"

"Why don't we watch a movie?" she asked. "I'll get the snacks ready, and you can pick the movie."

"That sounds fun," she responded as she got up from the table.

After they got everything set up in the den, they sat down next to one another while a third figure bounded into the room. Without even waiting, the auburn-haired kitsune jumped onto the couch next to Kagome and nuzzled up close to her with a content hum falling from his lips. Shippo got as close as he could to her, just like he would do when he was a kit, no matter the difference in his size from then and now.

She felt at ease between them, between her family, and she slowly let her previous thoughts melt from her mind as the movie started to play.


	2. Chapter Two

* * *

It wasn't in her nature to be so dead-set on bringing someone to their death, but for this one individual, she would gladly overlook that about her. Naraku was a person that deserved his death. He had caused so much pain for many people, and the only fair thing would be for him to meet his demise. She knew that his death would never erase anything he had done in his existence, but it would clear up the black cloud hovering over her head and weighing her spirits down.

The weather that day was nice. A temperate breeze swayed the treetops to and fro every now and again. While she walked next to the redheaded she-wolf Ayame, Shippo was a few steps ahead glancing in and out of the stores he passed. Trudging along a few paces behind Ayame and herself was Kouga, who held several bags from a plethora of stores on both of his arms.

"It's so nice to get these moments with you, Kagome-chan," Ayame let out a peaceful sigh and craned her head to the side, one of her twintails falling in front of her face before she brushed it back. Her emerald eyes glistened in the sunlight, twinkling brighter with Kouga mumbled under his breath again.

"I'm glad I agreed," she admitted, glancing at Ayame with a pleasant smile lifting her lips. "I asked if Sango wanted to come along, but she said she'd rather tend to her weapons."

"They're really important to her, huh?" Ayame asked. "Well, of course, they are. She must want to keep them in good condition since they mean so much to her."

"They're her original ones from her village, so of course she does," Kouga said. "Those weapons are basically the only things she has left of her old lifestyle. I don't blame her for wanting to keep them in working condition, especially since that Naraku bastard is still living and breathing."

Kagome nodded. She didn't blame Sango for tending to her weapons so frequently. She didn't get upset when she rejected going out with her to do so, either. She understood why Sango needed this time to herself.

"Speaking of weapons… Hey, Kagome-chan, do you still have Inuyasha's sword?" Ayame asked.

"Yeah, of course!" Kagome responded with a beaming smile. "Like I'd ever get rid of it. I keep it in tip-top condition, too!"

"That's my woman!" Kouga said, reaching his less-full arm out to ruffle her hair affectionately, much to Ayame's obvious ire and Kagome's embarrassment.

"Hey!" Ayame snapped at him, swatting his arm away from her raven-haired friend. "She's told you billions of times that she's not your woman. Have you forgotten that  _I_  am your woman?!"

"What? Of course not!" Kouga defended himself from the irate she-wolf as she whirled around to glare at him. Ayame's lips jutted out in a pout. Kagome laughed at the two demons before excusing herself from their often repeated argument.

"I'm going ahead to catch up with Shippo-chan," she told them. They were arguing back and forth, but she knew they had registered her words. She flicked her hand in a wave before heading off to find her fox child. "Catch up to me when this is settled, you two!"

She went ahead, sweeping her gaze over the busy streets in front of her as she searched for the auburn-haired boy that had dashed off not long ago. It didn't take her long to locate him. He was eyeing a crepe stand with a gleam in his eye.

As soon as he noticed her coming up behind him, he whirled around and ran up to her, tossing his arms around her and tugging her with him.

"Let's share a crepe, Mother!"

She saw the excited shine in his aqua eyes, and she found it impossible to reject his request. She dug around in her purse until she found her wallet, and she handed it to the sweets-loving demon. "Go pick the one you want, okay? I'll be waiting there," she said, pointing a finger in the direction of a bench not far from the area they stood in. Shippo nodded in response before bounding over to the stand.

She made her way to the bench and sat down. As she set her bag to the side, she pulled her phone from it to check if she had gotten any messages from her group of friends. There were no notifications, however, and she sighed as she let her phone drop back into her bag.

With no leads concerning Naraku, there really wasn't anything that they could do in the terms of hunting him out. She couldn't feel any trace of his aura in any direction, and it was frustrating.

Someone sitting down next to her on the bench made her jolt a bit, but she felt a smile rise to her face when she heard Shippo's voice as he talked about the crepe he now held. He leaned against her as they both ate it.

"Where's Kouga and Ayame?" he asked, seeming to finally take notice of the lacking pair they had been out with.

"Having the usual fight," she responded. Shippo sighed at her words, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'm not surprised," he said. "Kouga just can't get it through his thick head that you don't like him that way."

"Yeah, but old habits die hard," she said. "He doesn't mean anything by it. We all know that."

She knew that Kouga's nickname for her meant nothing now and that it was used just because it was an old habit he couldn't quite force himself to kick. That didn't mean it didn't get him into trouble with Ayame every now and again. Kagome shook her head and took Shippo by his hand as she stood up.

"Let's get going," she said.

"Huh? To where?"

"Since Sango-chan didn't want to come with us today, let's go to that bakery and get some of her favorite cake. I'm sure she'd love some, what do you think?"

"Yeah!"

* * *

The cake in the box was vanilla with white icing and a huge helping of blueberries and strawberries on the top of it. They left the store not long after arriving, chatting back and forth about a bunch of different things.

Kouga and Ayame had never caught up to them, and she was led to believe they had ended up heading home after their fight. Either that or they were still arguing in the middle of the sidewalk. She shook the thought of them from her mind as she watched Shippo bound forward a bit, all the while remaining in her line of sight.

A hyper kitsune could be hard to keep track of, but she was thankful that he never strayed too far from her vision. She could still find him if he did, but he never decided to, and it made things easier for her. She saw him grip a tree branch and she watched as he lifted himself up into the tree before he fell backward. His legs kept him suspended upside down, and a grin broke out across his face when she giggled at his actions.

"Shippo-chan, be careful," she called out in a mild tone. She knew that cautioning him over such a simple thing was pointless, but it was more of a reflex than anything.

She took another step forward, only to freeze mid-step as a chill raced through her veins. A familiar presence had appeared behind her, the aura being far too familiar for her to mistake it as anyone else's. She glanced over her shoulder out of a reflex, only to hear Shippo cry out to her as her eyes met glittering crimson. A sharp pain tore through her midsection as what she held plummeted to the ground at her feet.

There were screams and shrieks from other commuters that had seen the appearance of the monstrosity with a number of tentacles around him. Their cries faded into nothingness as they ran away, and she prayed that they didn't look back for their own safety.

A warm stain of crimson leaked down her front and dripped steadily into a puddle at her feet as she let her eyes travel down to the hand digging through her shirt and into her flesh.

She didn't have much time to react before he wrapped his other hand around her neck.

"Mother!" Shippo had leaped from the tree he was in and had started to run towards her.

"Stay away!" she shouted at Shippo, her words freezing him and keeping him from taking another step forward. She clawed at the cold hand holding her off the ground, only to yield no results. She swung a leg up and dug her heel into his chest and knocked his grip from her as she shoved him back. She hit the ground and pushed herself back onto her feet.

The figure that had gone unseen and unheard of for so long now stood before her, eyeing her with a maliciousness that no longer chilled her soul.

She narrowed her eyes and ran forward, swinging her leg forward and hitting him with enough force that it sent him into the building behind him. The place where she had struck him glimmered pink as it left a searing mark of her holy energy. That same pink glow encased her as he came towards her fearlessly. He paused mid-step, however, instead choosing to shoot a multitude of tentacles her way. Each one dissolved as they met her, and they were left standing a few feet away from each other.

"You're a challenge to get close to," Naraku mused as he looked the small priestess over. "Perhaps Inuyasha's death benefited you, after all."

"Tch…" Kagome narrowed her eyes at hearing those words. The glow around her hands became brighter with each passing second before it had gotten shaped into a katana. "You have no right to speak of him!" she cried out as she ran forward, bringing her pink blade down across his chest. He expected her actions, and he jumped back just before it could make contact with his body. He delivered a sharp kick to her wounded midsection and sent her flying into the building across the street.

She landed in a crumpled position, but she forced herself back up without taking a moment to try and heal herself up. The cuts that littered her body bled through her clothing, staining the light colored fabric with splotches of dark red. She could taste the crimson on her tongue, and she turned her head to the side as she spat the mix of blood and saliva from her mouth.

She knew she wasn't strong enough to take him down on her own. She could train for years yet never reach that point, but there was one thing he didn't know about her. She closed her eyes as her ability came to the surface.

"Tethered Together," she whispered under her breath as the pink around her turned to an icy blue. The blue aura surrounding her spread out in thin tendrils towards Naraku. They circled around him and kept him from moving as they caught onto his arms, legs, and body.

Her ability enabled her to take the energy of other people by tethering them to her, which she was then able to use as her own for a small amount of time, but there was a drawback for her. When she finished using it, most of her energy would be drained from her until it could be restored, as it would also put her own energy to use in that short timeframe.

With the added boost of his own energy, she reformed her katana, this time with it taking on a dark purple glow. She wasted no time before rushing towards his bound form, swinging her blade through his midsection with a furious cry falling from her lips.

When she did so, his form dissipated from the area, and a cut-in-half piece of familiarly shaped wood hit the concrete. Her eyes widened at the sight of it as she quickly came to the realization that this appearance of Naraku had been one of his created puppets. She was able to stay standing for a few more seconds before she fell forward onto her knees. It was at that moment that Shippo finally ran towards her.

Despite the damage she had taken, this encounter was not for naught. For the first time in so long, he had finally made some sort of an appearance. Even if it had ended up being a puppet. That didn't matter to her.

"Mother… can you get up?"

She blinked a few times at hearing Shippo ask her that. She looked at him and shook her head. "No, but if you give me a while, I'll be okay."

"You're not healing like normal…" Shippo's voice dipped into a worried tone when he saw her still-bleeding wounds. They did not have a first-aid kit with them, and there was nothing that could be done about them. He seemed to fret for a bit before perking up abruptly and glancing over his shoulder, much to Kagome's confusion.

Due to her drain of energy, she couldn't heal herself, nor could she feel aura's like she normally could. It was that reason she often neglected using her supernatural ability at all- save for situations where it was demanded. After using it, she was less than useless due to the drawbacks.

Shippo had stood up, and, before she could form a question, he had darted off down the street with an intent gleam in his eyes.

Shippo left his mother there as soon as he picked up on the scent of someone not far off. She was not in any more danger, so he stood and ran off to find the person close enough to reach without being gone for too long.

His eyes landed on a short man with orange hair, and he called out to him as he ran over to him.

"Hey, you!"

Chuuya came to halt at hearing the panicked voice from behind him, and he turned to glance over his shoulder. He saw a young teen running over to him, and he decided to wait for him to meet up with him. "What?" he asked as soon as he had gotten close enough.

"I need help!" Shippo pointed in the direction he came from with a pleading look in his eyes. "My mother's hurt and no one else is close enough around."

"Huh?" A part of him was considering rejecting the idea, but he found himself unable to due to the desperate look in the boy's eyes. He sighed and nodded. "Where is she?"

"This way." Shippo took him by his hand and pulled him along.

He was pulled in that direction for a few minutes before an area of mild destruction came into view. In the middle sat a small woman in a puddle of blood. She didn't seem to be moving any, but that didn't stop the boy that held his hand from pulling him.

"Mother!"

At the cry, the woman finally moved and turned to face them. A surprisingly youthful face glanced their way, and Chuuya glanced at the kid pulling him. Was this really his mother?

Shippo grinned down at Kagome's surprised face. "You'll be okay, Mother!" he said before glancing towards the man with him. "Please carry her, and I'll lead the way back home, Mister!"

Chuuya sighed and rubbed the back of his neck before agreeing to it. As he picked the still woman up, Shippo gathered her things and made sure he was following behind him before rushing off down an alleyway.

"H-Hey! Wait up!" Chuuya yelled after him before chasing after the auburn-haired boy.

* * *

"... Thank you," Kagome finally said something to the man that had ended up carrying her. It had been almost a half hour, and her wounds had healed up fully, but she was still regaining her energy.

"Huh?" He looked down at finally hearing her speak. He glanced up long enough to see Shippo start to climb up a series of stairs of an apartment building. "You're okay, right?" he asked then.

"Yeah," Kagome nodded. "I'm Higurashi Kagome. That boy is my son, Shippo-chan," she said before glancing up at his face. "What's your name? Or should I call you Fancy Hat?" she asked, grinning up at him when she looked at the fedora he wore.

"Chuuya."

"Hm… Well, then, Chuuya-kun, " she hummed as they reached her door, "you can go on in. Shippo-chan left it open for you. He must've gone to get my friend."

"Weird kid you got," he said, but he took the invite and stepped into the apartment, finally setting her back on her feet. Not long after he did so, she slid down onto her knees when her legs couldn't support her weight.

"He's not weird," Kagome huffed as she glared up at the man with orange hair. "Shippo-chan just isn't like the other children around."

Chuuya was about to take his leave when another voice broke through the hallway space, and a brunette woman came rushing towards them.

"Kagome-chan!" Sango hit the ground as soon as she saw how Kagome was kneeling against the hallway wall. "Are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah, I think," she responded, patting her wounds a few times to check if they were still bleeding, only to find that they weren't.

"What happened?" Sango asked. "I can go get my sword, and Kirara and I will go. Who do I need to find?"

"I took care of it," she said, sitting up some and reaching into her back pocket to pull out the broken piece of wood. She handed it off to Sango, who took it in trembling hands.

"Is this… Is this what I think it is?" she asked, looking over the tool that Naraku used to create his puppets. She saw Kagome nod, and she gripped it tighter, the wood nearly breaking to pieces in her hold. "He's finally trying something…"

"Yeah." Kagome settled back on her knees before remembering the box she had gotten. She glanced around for it, spotting it on the table where Shippo must've placed it. "Oh! I went to that bakery you like while I was out and got some of your favorite cake since you were too busy to go out with us today!" She reached for it and pulled the lid off, only to let out a despaired sigh at the appearance of the cake that was inside. The upturned cake looked sheepish in the box, and Kagome offered her a grin that was just as shy. "I guess this doesn't look as appetizing, huh?" she said.

Sango stared at the contents of the box before carefully taking it and moving it out of the way. She set it back on the table before turning back to Kagome and throwing her arms around her. She held her tight against her and laughed.

"Are you kidding?" she asked, laughing harder. "I think it looks delicious!" She squeezed her tighter before pulling back, reaching up to swipe some of the blood from the scratch on her cheek. "I'm just glad you're okay."

For the first time in so long, Naraku had made himself known to them. This was a huge event. This was something that meant a lot more than anything else.

Sango pressed their foreheads together as they both laughed. A few seconds later, she acknowledged the figure that had toted Kagome back to their home, and she pulled away from her friend while she glanced up at the petite-looking man. Though she did not know who he was, she smiled up at him.

"Thanks for bringing her home," she said as she stood up, this time having to look down a bit to meet his stare. He was about the height of her friend, with the hat he wore adding a bit of extra height to him. "You have no idea how much it means to me that she is safe."

Kagome clambered up to her feet, leaning her weight on the table beside her so she didn't fall again. She smiled at him vibrantly. "As thanks, how about you stay here and eat this damaged cake with us, Chuuya-kun? Given you have the time to stick around with us and join our little celebration, of course."

"Huh?" Chuuya looked at the girl he had carried all this way. The next second he grinned and held his hands up as he shrugged. "I don't see why not."

" _Yes_! Shippo-chan, get some forks!" Kagome shouted out as she tossed her hands in the air.

There was an answering cry that came from somewhere deeper in the apartment. "Yes, Mother!"

"Kagome-chan, go get cleaned up!" Sango said before crying out when she saw Kagome stumble as she ran to find Shippo, falling down after a few steps. "Ah! Kagome-chan!" Sango gave a worried gasp when she saw Kagome face-plant on the flooring.

"S'Kay!" she called back as she picked her face up from the hardwood floor.


End file.
